The Corner Chapter 1
by Clor1
Summary: Sam leaps into a young man in the town of Hazard...


**Disclaimer: I have no affiliations with anyone from the series of Quantum Leap or with Richard Marx. I do not own any of the characters of Quantum Leap and I did not write the song "Hazard" (the latter belongs to Richard Marx). I am the owner of the following characters: Philip Forrest, Stephen Forrest, Dr. Spade, Lizzie Hughes, Mary McDonnell, Andy Rosher, David Hughes, Derrick Henry, Lesley Howard, Lauren Forrest (this list may grow…)**

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The Corner 

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**Chapter 1: October 12, 1968**

_" My mother came to Hazard when I was just seven _

Even then the folks in town said with prejudiced eyes 

_That boy's not right…" – Hazard (Richard Marx)_

" More coffee, Sheriff? " 

For a moment he thought that he might have leaped into one of those little mystery magazines that his older brother Tom used to read as a child but the smell of freshly brewed coffee and home-baked apple pie fills up his nostrils and he has to accept the fact that this is just another leap into the past in an attempt to fix the future. Slowly he looks up from the fuzzy white object in his hand to the voice behind the counter. His eyes are still out of focus and he tries hard to find a path to the voice through the holes in his mind. The color red vaguely enters his vision and gradually the facial features of the voice take shape. The owner of the voice is a middle-aged woman with fiery red hair that had been tied back except for a few lost curls dangling beside her face. She is holding a coffee pot in one hand while the other hand rests on her hip. He squints a few times and then becomes aware of the rest of his surroundings, including his body. A shatter of glass can be heard as the cup slips from his hand and hits the floor. He notices the woman is looking strangely at him and he hastily tries to remedy the situation by sliding from his chair and starts picking up the broken pieces of the cup. He feels a feeling of relief as he discovers he is the only one in the diner. The woman leans over the counter and says: 

" Don't mind that, Sheriff. Andy will pick those up. " She looks over her shoulder and shouts: " Aaaaa-aaandyyy-yyy! " Her words are barely cold when a teenager of about fifteen kneels beside him and taking the pieces from his hand. 

" Be careful that you don't cut yourself now, Sheriff. These pieces can make a nasty cut and I know! Why, just last week I cut my finger when little Ricky dropped a soda glass. See? " Andy pushes his finger under his nose and the latter swallows hard before straightening himself. He tries to smile but only manages a thin line of teeth: 

" Thank you, Andy. " He takes his seat and almost fell off when a voice suddenly says behind him: 

" Khaki really isn't your color, Sam. " Dr. Sam Beckett resists the urge to swing around and yell at the only voice he knows. Instead he just looks at the woman in front of him. 

" Can I get you another cup, Sheriff? " 

" Uh…no thank you. I'd better get going. " He reaches for his wallet and hopes that all men kept their wallets in the same place. He almost smiles of relief when his finger touches the smooth leather of what must be a wallet in the back pocket of his pants. He pulls a two-dollar note from it and holds it out the woman. She looks at him as she closes his hand over the note. 

" It's on the house, Sheriff. " Sam looks at her and a feeling of sincerity crosses his eyes. He nods at her and replaces the note to the wallet, catching a glimpse of a name on a driver's license. After a few seconds he finds himself standing on the pavement of a street in town he doesn't know with a hologram floating next to him. 

" Turn left and keep going for two blocks. Turn left again on the second block and keep going until you get the Sheriff's Office. " Sam turns left and walks right through the holographic image of Admiral Albert "Al" Cavalicci. Al is a neurological projection of an image that only Sam can see and hear, and occasionally small children and dogs. Dr. Sam Beckett is the creator of the project known as Quantum Leap situated in the New Mexico desert and he has attempted to time travel but not to be stuck in time. His greatest wish is that his next leap will be the leap home, a place he has not seen for a few years. No one knows how to retrieve Sam from the past except Sam self and he cannot remember how to do it. Currently, Sam becomes aware of Al floating with him down the street and it seems impossible to ignore him since the latter is wearing a bright purple satin suit, lime green satin shirt with a black leather tie. A green fedora that matches the shirt is cocked arrogantly on his head with a purple feather tucked in the band. A pair of black leather shoes rounds of the picture. A cigar is tucked firmly between his fingers. Yes, it is quite impossible to ignore such a sight especially if you know that you are the only one who can see or hear it. Al takes the initiative to inform Sam of his assignment, which is usually a scenario, compiled by Ziggy, the hybrid computer Sam developed. 

" You have leaped into Philip Forrest, the Deputy Sheriff of Hazard, Nebraska on 12 October 1968. You have met Lizzie Hughes and Andy Rosher back in the diner. Your boss is Sheriff Derrick Henry and according to Ziggy he has something to do with your assignment. Something about a murder being committed by an innocent young man but Ziggy is still working on that one. " 

Sam has reached the Sheriff's Office and soon discovers that he is the only one around which suits him perfectly since now he can launch his array of questions: 

" Why the hell have you sneaked up on me back there in the diner? I almost died of a heart attack! " 

" Then you'd better check that out Sam because we don't want to be stuck with your image with someone else's personality in the Visiting Chamber forever. " 

" Very funny. " Sam starts to look around the office. " What is wrong with Andy Rosher? " 

" Who? " Al frowns at Sam while rubbing his right temple softly. 

" The kid in the diner. What is wrong with him? " 

" What do you mean what is wrong with him? He looked perfectly fine to me! Oh yes, as for the diner, I apologize. Ziggy messed up the coordinates. That computer gives me a headache. " He rubs his temple again. 

" Answer me, Al. " Sam has poured himself a cup of coffee and has taken a seat next to a window. Al types away at his handlink and then says: 

" Ziggy says Andy fell in a well when he was about five years old. Philip heard him fell in but it was a few minutes before he reached Andy and by that time the damage was already done. He may be fifteen but mentally he will never reach the age of nine. His parents are the owners of the diner. Ooh, my head. " 

" I think it is rather you clothes that is giving you that headache. Or did you have a busy night? Now tell me, Al, who is going to be murdered? " Sam grins at the sour expression that crosses Al's face but he nevertheless types away at the handlink to find an answer to Sam's question. He frowns at the reply on the handlink and that same frown sends Sam into an instant panic: 

" What is it, Al? What does Ziggy say? " 

" In three days a murder is going to be committed and an innocent young man is going to be sentenced to for life for the murder he didn't commit. Ziggy says that there is an 83% probability that you must prevent the murder or at least find the real one before that young man's life is taken away from him. " 

" Who was the real murderer, Al? " 

" Ziggy doesn't know. He was never caught. " 

" What is the role of Derrick Henry in all of this? " 

" Well, uhm…well, Ziggy doesn't know that either. " Al frowns again as he rubs he temple. 

" And? " Sam is pacing in front of the window, his nerves as usual in a state of being shredded. 

" And what? " Al is still frowning. 

" You're frowning, Al, and that means bad news! " Sam has stopped pacing and is standing in front of Al with his hands on his hips. 

" I'm frowning because I have a headache, Sam. I'm going now. Tina has this wonderful cure for headaches. Oh yes, that office in the corner is Henry's. Your desk is over in that corner. Al motions with his hand to a desk right from Sam. The desk is cluttered with files and they seem to be too much for such a small town. The Door appeared behind Al and the latter has just taken a step towards it when Sam asks: 

" Who is the innocent young man? " 

" David Hughes, the son of Lizzie Hughes. Oh Sam, stay out of trouble for once, will ya? I've got a bad feeling about his leap. " He looks at Sam for a moment and then disappears into the future, leaving Sam stuck in the past. 

Sam watches as Al disappears and then takes a seat behind his desk. He looks over the contents of the desk: There are about twelve files scattered across the desk. The usual stationary objects such as notepads, pencils and paper clips are all present. The paper clips make for a metal display in a holder while another holder next to it keep the ten or so pencils upright. Unconsciously, Sam starts to organize the chaos on the desk and as soon as he has stacked the files on the left of him, he notices the small picture frame revealing a picture of a boy around eleven years old. He gathers from the clothes and the hairstyle that the picture has been taken quite recently. The young face is looking at him with piercing eyes and a shy smile is drawing a line around a small mouth. A few freckles are dotted across his nose and is quite a charming compliment to the darkish hair. Sam looks at the picture and suddenly looks for another picture of a woman somewhere on his desk but soon discovers there isn't one. He pulls the wallet again from his pocket and looks at the driver's license. He learns where Philip lives and how he looks. The real Philip Forrest is about six feet two inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. He was born in Perdition on August 21, 1932, which means he is thirty-six years old. Sam looks at his reflection in the picture frame and he too has an uneasy feeling about this leap. He almost crashes to the floor again when Al suddenly appears in front of him. Sam glares at the hologram before saying: 

" How's your headache, Al? " Sam tries his best to sound sarcastic and is not amused with the grin on Al's face. " What headache? " Sam decides to ignore the trace of smugness in Al's voice. 

" Al, what is really going to happen in three days? Did Ziggy find anything yet? " 

Al smacks the handlink on the side and says: 

" Actually, Ziggy did find more information. Apparently the body of Mary McDonnell will be found next to the river in three days' time. The coroner will determine the cause of death as strangulation. " Al pauses. His eyes turn to two dark pools of burning anger as he reads the next data from the handlink. Sam knows that kind of look and his blood turns to flowing ice in his veins. 

" Al? " Al looks at Sam and whispers: 

" She's been violated before she was murdered, Sam. She was only eighteen years old. " The air in the little Sheriff's Office becomes a suffocating tomb and Sam stumbles to the nearest window and opens it as wide as possible. He takes a deep breath of fresh, cold air and closes his eyes. His mind whirls in all directions around terrifying images and he forces those images from his mind. He turns around and his eye falls upon the picture of the little boy. 

" Who is the boy in the picture, Al? " Al walks through the desk and turns abruptly to face the picture. Sam is leaning against the windowsill waiting for Al's feedback. Al looks at the handlink. 

" His name is Stephen Forrest, Philip's son. " 

" I'm married? " Sam holds his breath. It's always a difficult leap when he leaps into someone who is married, man or woman. 

" Divorced. Your ex-wife, Lauren, lives in Lincoln, here in Nebraska. " 

" What happened? " Al knows the way of this kind of questioning and drops the handlink to his side. 

" No Sam. That is not part of your assignment. Besides, Ziggy cannot find the legal documents so we don't know what happened. " 

" Does Stephen lives with me or Lauren? " 

" With Lauren but you see him every second weekend, Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving and all those other holidays as well as his birthday. " 

" His birthday is soon? " 

" No. It's on January 23rd. By the way, he's coming this weekend. " Al has just started to punch in some commands in the handlink when the office door opens and a man in his mid-forties enters. Sam immediately knows who he is by the uniform he is wearing. He notices Sam standing next to the window and says: 

" Good morning, Phil. Get me a cup of coffee, will you? And close that window, if you don't mind. It's freezing in here. " 

" You don't like to be called 'Phil', Sam. " Sam doesn't say a word but obediently closes the window. He walks over to the coffee stand, immediately having a feeling of dislike in Sheriff Derrick Henry. He pours coffee in a cup and suddenly wonders about milk and sugar. 

" Just like that, Sam. No milk. No sugar. " Sam takes the coffee into Derrick's office and places it down on the desk in front of him. Sam says: 

" I prefer Philip, Derrick. " Derrick looks up from the paper he had been reading. He chuckles as he picks up the cup of coffee. He shakes his head slightly. 

" You're funny, Phil, very funny. " Derrick takes a sip from his coffee and continues reading the paper. Sam wants to say something but thinks better of it and returns to his desk. Al has silently witnessed the exchange of words and follows Sam, knowing Sam well enough not to say anything. He pushes a button on the handlink and silently disappears again. Sam has taken his seat behind his desk and fumbles with a lost pencil. He doesn't like Derrick. There is something about the man that gives him the impression of something elusive and menacing that hides in his soul. The uneasiness creeps into his stomach like stranger from the dark. It is as if… A sharp, irritated voice cuts through his thoughts: 

" Answer that damn, phone…_Philip_! Sam quickly reaches for the black receiver on his right. 

" Sheriff's Office. " 

" May I speak to Mr. Forrest please? " 

" That's me. How can I help? " 

" This is Dr. Spade from the Lincoln Medical Center…" 

" What happened? Is Stephen okay? " 

" Your son is fine, Mr. Forrest, at least in the sense that he has no physical injuries. However, it is with great regret that I must inform you that your wife, Lauren, has just passed away. " 

" What…? " Sam struggles to swallow and he knows he is not supposed to have any feelings whatsoever when it comes to the life of whomever he has leaped into but sometimes it just happens…like now. 

" A car accident, Mr. Forrest. She was traveling alone. Will you be able to come and fetch Stephen? It seems that you are his only relative. " 

" Where is he now? " 

" A friend of your wife has taken him to her house. A Mrs. Lesley Howard I believe. Here is her address…" Sam takes down the information in a state of dreaminess. 

" Thank you for everything, Dr. Spade. " Sam replaces the receiver and suddenly wishes he had leaped somewhere else. He rubs his hands over his eyes and sighs. 

" Oh boy. " 

Sam has managed to convince Derrick that it would be best if he fetches Stephen. Luckily, Lincoln is only about two hours' drive from Hazard. Sam has decided to change first before going to Lincoln. At Philip's house he looks at himself in the mirror and notices the little cleft in the chin he had not been aware of previously. Without thinking he says to the image looking back at him: 

" Here's looking at you kid. " 

" You're good, you're very good but you're not Bogie. Nobody can be Bogie. " Sam hasn't noticed Al standing in the doorway. After all, holograms don't have a reflection in mirrors. 

" At least I can dream Al. Maybe I can dream my way home? " 

" Someday, maybe. The stuff dreams are made of but I hate to trample on your dreams, Sam, but there is a very sad, lonely boy who needs his father right now. " 

" I know, Al, I know. Sometimes I wonder why me. " 

" Because you're a hero. " 

Sam turns to face Al, pulling on a black jacket. 

" Heroes are humans too, Al. " 

Sam opens the garage door and notices Al has already made himself comfortable in a blue Ford pickup. Sam moves to the open window and grins: 

" I think I'd better drive, Al. I don't trust you behind the wheel. " 

Al punches the handlink and shouts to someone in the back: 

" Gooo-ooo-shie! Ziggy is having some technological woman thing. She messed up the coordinates again! Do something about it, will ya? " Within seconds Al has moved to the passenger side and Sam slides in behind the wheel. The engine roars into life without any trouble and soon Sam is on the road to Lincoln. The handlink in Al's hand suddenly bursts into an array of colored buttons flashing hysterically and screaming in all tones of squeaks. Al looks from the handlink to Sam. 

" Uh-oh. "

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© Clor 2002 


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